The Water Registrar records transactions on water shares, including transfers, mortgages, limited term transfers and discharges of mortgage. In addition, the Water Registrar has responsibility for the water register system and ensuring accuracy, reliability and accessibility of records.
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Most frequent questions
You must firstly contact your water authority and apply to transfer your water share. Once your application is approved, your water authority will provide the seller with a pre-filled transfer form, which must be signed by all parties and then lodged with the Water Registrar.
Consolidation and division of water shares is handled exclusively by your water authority. You can obtain explanatory notes and application forms from your water authority.
Records and information will be maintained in different parts of the register by the Water Registrar and the water authorities. Details recorded by the Water Registrar in relation to a water share include proprietorship details, water share volume (in megalitres), relevant water system and water authority, details of water share transfers or limited term transfers, mortgages and other notifications.
It became operational on 1 July 2007 for northern Victoria regulated systems and 1 July 2008 for declared water systems in southern Victoria.
Lodging with the Water Registrar
You can post your lodgement to the Water Registrar at:
Land Use Victoria
GPO Box 527
Melbourne VIC 3001
Bulk lodgement can be used by our regular customers, (in a separate batch to land), or you can lodge it by mail.
Please send your lodgement to the Water Registrar at:
Land Use Victoria
GPO Box 527
Melbourne VIC 3001
Future water allocations will continue to go to the original owner of the water share until a transfer or limited term transfer is recorded in the water register. Other transactions, like mortgages or transmission applications, may be lodged for recording as required by the parties to these transactions.
Yes, your water share transfer or limited term transfer must be lodged with the Water Registrar within two calendar months from the date of water corporation approval of the transfer.
If the transfer is not lodged within the two calendar months, the water corporation approval lapses and the Water Registrar will not record the transfer. A new transfer application would need to be lodged with the water corporation together with another application fee. The two-month time limit applies only to transfers of water shares and limited term transfers.
If the water share transfer, or limited term transfer, has been lodged with the Water Registrar within two calendar months from the date of water corporation approval, then the Water Registrar has no time limit on recording the transfer.
Yes.
Yes. If your water share is encumbered by a mortgage and the mortgage is not being discharged, consent from the mortgagee will be required.
The consent must be a separate supporting document and must be lodged in conjunction with your transfer of water share or limited term transfer.
A discharge of mortgage should also be lodged before or with any transfer of a water share.
No. Stamp duty does not apply to any water register transaction.
No. A water share 'certificate' will not be issued.
When your transaction of a water share has been recorded by the Water Registrar, you will be provided with a Copy of Record – Water Share.
Forms
A form approved by the Water Registrar under the Water Act 1989.
You can access our forms here.
You can obtain approved Water Registrar forms for water share transactions by visiting our lodging in the Victorian Water Register page, or from your water authority.
Transfers of water share forms and limited term transfer forms for lodging with the Water Registrar are pre-filled by water authorities and included with the letters of approval from the water authorities.
Yes, other than transfer forms and limited term transfer forms.
If you reproduce a Water Registrar form on your PC you must ensure the format, including layout, spacing, margins and information are the same as that of the approved form.
The form must be on white A4 paper of not less than 80gsm, be printed in portrait using black ink on a high-quality printer and only on one side of the page.
Searching
Carry out a search of the water register.
You can carry out a search of the water register by visiting the title search facilities located at Land Use Victoria.
You can either do the search yourself or ask for help from Land Use Victoria staff.
You can also place an order online through Titles, Property Certificates and Crown Land Status by completing a water search.
To carry out a search or to order water-related documents you will need information to identify the documents as follows–
Water Share Record – e.g. WEE123456 and/or
Water Register Document – e.g. MOR654321
You can also engage the services of a professional searcher, also known as 'Title Searchers'.
Yes, fees do apply. See the Victorian Water Register website for further information.
All current information, such as ownership, encumbrances, volume (in megalitres) etc. which apply to the water share being searched, will be provided on a printed water register record of a water share.
Yes. Registered water transactions can be searched at Land Use Victoria. Unregistered water transactions can be searched by attending the enquiry counter in the specific branch of Land Registration Services in which the transaction is located.
Page last updated: 11/07/23